March for Life influences many

Left-Right: Sydney Childress, Anthony Bloome, Rachel Weaver, Laura Moore, Rianne Kladisf, Molly Maschka, Megan Perkins, Cao Nyuen, and Jose Gonzalez preparing to attend the Washington D.C. March for Life event

By Molly Maschka

On January 22, 2015, an estimated 700,000 people gathered by the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. ready to march in hopes the Nation’s Legislature would hear their plea for the unborn babies who have and continue to die from abortion.

Among the crowd were four Waldorf students, holding signs and braving the cold weather to walk for a purpose. As members of St. James Catholic Church in Forest City, Megan Perkins, Laura Moore, Molly Maschka, and Anthony Bloome felt a calling to go to March for Life to stand up against abortion. Along with three high school students and Father Paul Lippstock, they made the 20 hour trip, and said the experience changed their lives for the better.

“The March of Life was powerful,” said Laura Moore, a senior at Waldorf. “Just seeing hundreds of people protest peacefully against the unnecessary evil that is abortion. Plus, my dad came up from Virginia to participate in the march, and walking with him was just a wonderful experience.”

Every year, an estimated 1.21 million babies are aborted due to rape, birth defects, or unplanned pregnancies. Since 2003, on January 22 of every year (the same date abortion became legal due to the 1973 Roe vs. Wade case) thousands of people walk to the Capital. They hope to reach the goal of overturning the Roe vs. Wade decision of abortion and reduce access to the procedure. For some, participating in this march will influence them turn from Pro-Choice to Pro-Life. Waldorf Junior Anthony Bloome can speak of this experience.

“I was blind. I felt abortion was a necessity to keep the world population balanced. But after seeing some of the horrendous videos of abortions, plus seeing children of rape victims, it made me reflect. Since I am adopted, I felt that I could have been aborted because of not being worthy by modern social standards.”

Now as the students return back to campus, they hope more students from Waldorf will join them on next year’s March and stand up for Pro Life.

“God definitely has opened up my heart to new friendships and I learned no matter how different you are, God is the base of all friendships!” Megan Perkins said. “I think next year we definitely need to advertise the March for Life so more students will considered coming.”